Greenhouse cucumbers, which can be bought in supermarkets in the winter, have nothing to do except the name with the vegetable that people like so much. No vitamins in them, no “crunch”, no taste, no aroma. In a word, a fake at a high price.
To get real pleasure from winter greenhouses, it is enough to have windows in the apartment on the south side and the desire to start a home "garden". Thanks to modern selection, it is possible to grow cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter. The varieties needed for this have already been tried by many amateur gardeners.
Grade selection
In order to get a really good crop with strong, neat and crispy cucumbers, you should correctly approach the purchase of seeds. Here's what experienced gardeners advise in their reviews:
- it is preferable to take bush varieties so that the loggia or window is not entwined with one long vine;
- when choosing, it’s worth focusing on the yield of the variety so that there is no disappointment when collecting it;
- its unpretentiousness plays an important role, because when cucumbers are grown on the windowsill in winter, the best varieties are those that do not require additional lighting and care;
- the best option is self-pollinated hybrids that do not need manual pollination and well tolerate the negative effects of the environment.
A similar approach when choosing seed can save time while caring for it and money when buying.
Hybrid varieties
If some time ago the choice of varieties was limited to “indoor Rytov,” today you can choose for every taste, for example:
- "Window-balcony F1." The variety was bred specifically to plant cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter. How to grow cucumbers in a small space? There are technologies for this, but this variety gives a yield of up to 15 kg from 1 m 2 after 55 days even within the pot. This hybrid has neat green greens of a dark green color, it is undemanding to additional lighting and tolerates temperature extremes.
- "Catherine F1" begins to bear fruit in 50 days. Gives cucumbers more than 20 cm in length, is not susceptible to disease, shade-tolerant and frost-resistant. According to gardeners, it is characterized by long fruiting and high productivity - up to 18 kg from 1 m 2 .
- “Zozulya F1” is a hybrid well-tested by time, which tolerates cold well and begins to bear fruit on day 45. The fruits are large with white spikes and fluff. Many note that they are very tasty and persist for a long time.
- Onega F1 is one of the earliest ripening hybrids. From the appearance of the first leaves to cucumbers, only 38 days pass. Self-pollinated hybrid variety with small neat cucumbers suitable for both salads and pickling.
In order to grow such cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, the best varieties (reviews of experienced gardeners warn about this) should be patient with temperature extremes, shade-tolerant and self-pollinated.
The soil
Correctly selected capacity and soil of the required composition will increase the yield indicated in the description of the variety. Any flower pot or plastic bucket with a volume of at least 5 liters per 1 plant is suitable for planting cucumbers . If the variety is bush, then you can even use hanging pots.
It is important that there are drainage holes in the selected container. If there are none, you will have to make them manually.
The soil mixture is prepared from equal amounts of garden earth, sand, ash, humus and rotted sawdust. To neutralize the substrate, it should be baked in the oven on a baking sheet for 20-30 minutes at + 100-110 degrees. The prepared soil mixture must be loosened and poured into containers. You can buy ready-made soil in a specialized store. The day before sowing seeds, the earth must be carefully watered.
Sowing seeds
To grow cucumbers on the windowsill in winter, the best varieties, according to home growers, need to be prepared for planting in the same way as ordinary ones:
- To disinfect the seed, experienced gardeners recommend keeping them for 3 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. It is important to remember that only those seeds are suitable for sowing that during this time they have settled on the bottom of the glass. Those that remained to float on the surface will not give normal seedlings, let alone a crop.
- Seeds need to be sprouted to speed up the process of their emergence, for which they are wrapped in a cloth or napkin and regularly moistened for two days. The air temperature should be from +25 to +30 degrees. After 2 days, they will give the first roots.
- Hatching seeds are thrown into moist soil, into previously made holes to a depth of 1.5 cm, after which the container is covered with cellophane or glass and placed in a warm place.
After the sprouts sprout, the coating can be removed and the seedlings rearranged in a cooler place with temperatures up to +18 degrees.
Bushes
To seedlings rose and strengthened, she needs a bright place. It can be a windowsill, insulated loggia or porch. Features of growing cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter is that there are no drafts, as well as ensuring timely watering and top dressing. In general, hybrid varieties are unpretentious, but in order for the bush to grow healthy and fruitful, it is recommended to form it in time.
To do this, when 4-5 leaves appear, the top must be clipped. This activates the growth of lateral shoots, while over the third and fifth leaf they also pinch, so that there are 2-3 branches-lashes on the bush. When leaves appear on the lateral processes, they must be nipped over the tenth leaf. This approach will form strong stems that need to be tied up as they grow.
This will allow the plant to absorb light evenly. Although there are many hybrid varieties that can easily tolerate its deficiency, it is advisable to additionally illuminate the bushes from November to the end of February.
Watering
Cucumbers on the windowsill in winter (the best varieties are no exception) must be watered daily, but slightly so that the soil is moistened. This is especially important if plants are in close proximity to heating radiators. It will be useful to moisturize the air by spraying plants in the morning with water.
If the roots appeared on the surface of the soil, they should be sprinkled. This happens if the seeds are not planted in cups, and then dive, but directly in the pots.
When the cucumbers bloom and the first ovaries appear, put water plates under the containers so that the earth does not dry up in any case, but is moistened all the time. At the same time, spraying is recommended in the morning and in the evening, as with dry air and lack of moisture, the ovaries can crumble.
Top dressing
Growing cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter (reviews say that it is not difficult) consists in simple actions:
- After the appearance of the first leaves, the plant should be fed 1 time per week with a solution of 3 liters of water and 2 tsp. mineral fertilizers. While cucumbers grow, the norm is 1-2 glasses each. When the ovaries appear and fruiting begins, 3-4 tbsp.
- In order to prolong the fruiting period, you can cheat and water the plants every 2–3 weeks with a solution of 2 liters of water and 1 cap of a product that stimulates its growth. For this, biohumus will also work, which can be poured into a container 1 time per month.
Many indoor gardeners prefer fermented and diluted organics, and the crowns are sprayed with a light solution of manganese, zinc and boron. If this easy work is carried out, cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter will give an excellent harvest. The best varieties of hybrids need weekly top dressing, like ordinary ones.
Harvesting
If watering and top dressing are carried out regularly, then the first crop will not have to wait long. A feature of cucumbers is that they should be collected regularly, not allowing the fruits to outgrow. The more often ripe Zelentsy breaks down, the faster new ovaries appear.
As they say, those who have been growing cucumbers on window sills for more than a year, each plant can produce up to 30 or more fruits.
Tips experienced
An increasing number of people are interested in growing cucumbers on the windowsill in the winter. The advice of experienced gardeners helps beginners cope with an unfamiliar business:
- You should know that the seeds treated by the manufacturer for protection are covered with a film, so they lag for 7 days in germination and require more frequent and plentiful watering.
- When one large capacity is used for sowing, the distance between the holes should be at least 3 cm, so that when transplanting grown seedlings, it can be removed with a lump of earth and not harm the roots.
- Until the sprout appears, it is better to spray the ground, and start watering only after the formation of the first leaf. At the same time, you can start feeding.
- When the 3rd leaf appeared on the plant, this means that it must be transplanted into a separate pot.
- You can not put cucumbers in the winter close to the window. It is recommended to leave space between them, and even better, stretch the mesh, to which you can subsequently tie the plant.
- You need to regularly monitor the humidity of the air and soil: cucumbers do not like dryness and take revenge on small and bitter fruits.
These small recommendations can help those who have not yet decided to grow cucumbers on the windowsill to take up this fascinating and very profitable hobby.